6.5-284 brass?

I am thinking about getting a 6.5 x 2 84. I was wondering about the availability and price of the brass. Just wondering if I can take .284 brass and size it down to the 6.5? Or do I have to buy 6.5 x 2 84 brass? If so who all makes the 6.5 x 2 84 brass? And what is the price compared to the .284? Or should I go .260?( not preffered). Sorry if this is a repeat but I'm somewhat new to the reloading forum( not reloading)

I am thinking about getting a 6.5 x 2 84. I was wondering about the availability and price of the brass. Just wondering if I can take .284 brass and size it down to the 6.5? Or do I have to buy 6.5 x 2 84 brass? If so who all makes the 6.5 x 2 84 brass? And what is the price compared to the .284? Or should I go .260?( not preffered). Sorry if this is a repeat but I'm somewhat new to the reloading forum( not reloading)

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1) With everyone running out and buying up everything that is available right now, the brass may not be readily available although if you look around you can still find a little - just dont try to buy 2000 rounds of the same lot number, aint going to happen.

2) Price is high. I shoot only Lapua in my F-class open rifle and its around $1.50 per round. You can find other brass that is a little less expensive but I have had the best experience with the Lapua. Norma is good but it is soft, primer pockets get loose after a few firings (my experience).

3) You can run the Winchester 284 brass through the 6.5x284 dies and use that but I choose not to. It is less expensive and if you are not as concerned with close brass tolerances like I am then you may choose that way to save money.

4) Powder Valley lists Winchester 284 for $326 for 500 pieces and they list Lapua 6.5x284 for $115.18 for 100 pieces which would total $575.90 for 500 pieces.

In conclusion, I would not even entertain the idea of another caliber (260) if I already had it in my mind that I didnt prefer that cartridge. One of the problems is the fact that the 6.5x284 has a rebated rim and it is the cause of some feeding problems in a hunting rifle. In single shot rifles (target) this never causes a problem as the rifle is fed one cartridge at a time. Gunsmiths work around this problem and usually are able to fix any feed problems you may encounter trying to feed out of a magazine. If you build the rifle on a short action you also need to keep in mind that you will be limited on the OAL of your load if you intend to use the magazine. I built one for hunting on a long action and can load the rounds as long as I want them with no problems with long OAL rounds.

I hope this helps some as I tried to answer all your questions but if you have more questions, pm me your phone number and I will try to answer any other questions you may have. Good luck, BK

Thanx all. Black ignt755 you helped a lot. That was very helpful. I didn't realize the recessed rim either. I am pretty set on the 6.5-284 for caliber. Sounds like the few extra bucks for lapua is worth it. Thanx again to everyone.

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